


The Last Seed

by KandySongbird



Category: Ori and the Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Found Family, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, let them be happy I said, your token AU for when I don't agree with cannon and decide to take matters into my own hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26879947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KandySongbird/pseuds/KandySongbird
Summary: Ori could have never foreseen the sacrifice their journey through Niwen would have ended in. If only there was a way for them to restore the light without having to leave their family behind.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	The Last Seed

Ori's vision blurred as consciousness slowly slipped back to them. The pain that dragged at every muscle in the small spirit's body brought back the memory of the fight that had just occurred. They had successfully fended off Shriek but in the process the Spirit Willow had been toppled and both Seir and Ori had been wounded greatly. Each scratch and bruise pulsed painfully, so much so that any attempts to stand brought the spirit falling back towards the barren ground on shaking legs. Casting their gaze forward, Ori could see the faint golden glow of Seir's light. The light was grounded, clearly also too wounded to make their way to Ori. The spirit breathed in a deep painful breath and with the last of their strength, they reached out, crawling slowly towards Seir. 

Ori had held a little hope that things did not have to end like this. The spirit hadn't wanted to fight with Shriek, for all the pain and suffering the decayed owl had caused both Ori and their dear sister Ku, the kindness within the small spirit wanted to share warmth and acceptance with her. Shriek, however, was too lost in her own coldness, in her own fear to accept Ori's offer. The decay had caused her great suffering and as per the Spirit Willow’s last request, Ori would have to be the one to ensure no one else in Niwen fell victim to the decay's relentless destruction. It was a task most spirits would jump to fulfilling but Ori was not a typical spirit. They had a family they cared for so deeply, Naru, their gentle loving mother who had given her own life during Nibel's blindness to allow Ori the chance of survival. She had taught Ori how to be kind, how to care for others and her death had broken their heart. Gumo, a smart and cheerful friend, despite losing his entire species, he still acted with compassion, reviving Naru and guiding her to Ori in time to save the spirit from Kuro's fury. Although the owl had relentlessly hunted down Ori and Sein during their journey to revive Nibel's Spirit Tree, Ori couldn't help but feel pity for the large owl for losing her children to the light. They were inspired by her courage and resolve to sacrifice herself to save that same light in a final act of love for her unhatched child. Then there was Ku, Ori had known the young owlet for all of her life, they had watched her grow, learn and struggle with their damaged wing. Ori felt a fierce desire to protect Ku, for all of the challenges she had faced, she was kind and cheerful. She was the sister they loved unconditionally, an irreplaceable member of Ori's family and yet now she lay unconscious, struck down by Shriek. Without the return of the Spirit Willow's light, the owlet would surely succumb to her wounds and perish. The thought of such a thing happening was unspeakable, Ori had no choice but to go on the quest to restore Niwen's light, but they had not foreseen the sacrifice they would have to make in doing so. It wasn’t just Ori's sacrifice either, Kwolok had given his life assisting in the search for the wisp of strength. The thought of the guardian brought guilt to Ori's already aching chest. Despite the stink spirit causing Kwolok to lose himself, ultimately it had been at the mercy of Ori's spirit edge that the large toad had died. The final words Kwolok had offered the spirit came to mind, to protect the light. A painful resolve hardened in Ori, in this decision it wasn’t just Ku they could save, but all of the residents of Niwen. There was only one choice.

As Ori reached Seir, the light flickered, acknowledging their presence, waiting for Ori to embrace the destiny lying before them on the cold decayed ground. Biting back the heat rising in their throat, Ori pulled out Kuro's feather. It shimmered in Seir's light and gazing at it's soft plumage reminded Ori of everyone they had come to care for. As Ori held out the large purple feather, the wind stirred at it's tufts and something that had been caught in it's fluff fell to the ground with a small plip. It broke Ori's trail of thought and drew their gaze away from the feather they were about to let go of. It was a seed, one they had picked up on their journey, or rather one that they had been given. Kii had entrusted the spirit with the seed after accepting that his grove of trees had been forever lost to the decay. It glowed much brighter than other seeds Ori had found on their quest, Tuley had informed Ori that it was a seed from an ancient tree, he had offered to plant the little seed but something about it made Ori want to hang onto it for a little longer. Regret bubbled up in the spirit along with all the other emotions that were making it hard for Ori to hold back tears, perhaps this seed should have been planted in the glade instead of being fated to abandonment on this desolate plateau. But as the light of the seed caught Seir's gaze, the light perked up.

"Ori, where did you find such a seed? It's ancient light is so familiar, so much like the warmth of the Spirit Willow."

Ori looked down at Seir, confused. It was painful to speak but this seed had brought about a reaction from Seir who had been so focused on restoring the light to Niwen up until now. "It was given to me by someone who tended to the trees in the Silent Woods."

"This is an ancestral willow seed Ori, a rare little thing, it must have been carried by one of the Willow's departed children."

Dim hope sparked in the wounded spirit and they held Kuro's feather closer to their chest. "Could that seed grow into a spirit tree?"

Seir was silent for a moment and their tone turned somber. "I can feel the light in this little seed but time has caused it to fade. There is a possibility that combined with my light this seed could grow into a willow but I'm unsure if the seed itself has enough light of its own to grow so large."

Ori's ears drooped and their grip on the feather loosened, all the wounds covering the spirits body seemed to ache even more. There really was only one way. 

Seir was quiet for a moment. "Ori, could it be that you do not want to inherit my light?" 

The spirit couldn't lift their gaze to look at the light. "I want to restore the light and save Niwen from the decay but," they paused, wondering if they were being selfish, "but the thought of never being able to spend time with my family again is so painful. I won't be there when Ku wakes up, I won't be able to say goodbye to any of them." Ori had to fight hard to hold back the tears as they spoke those words, it was truly how they felt and they were such heavy emotions.

"Becoming the spirit tree is not death Ori, you will still be able to watch over Niwen." Seir didn't seem to understand and it occurred to Ori that this light seemed a lot more practical than Sein did.

"It won't be the same." The little spirit shook their head, gazing sorrowfully at the soft purple feather in their paws.

Again, Seir was silent. "Perhaps if you offered the light you have gathered from the ancestral trees around Niwen to the seed, it would be strong enough to grow healthy."

Ori perked up, hope returning, though only faintly. "Could that work?"

"Theoretically, it should, as long as the seed has enough light and is embraced by me, it should grow into a fine spirit tree." The light paused "Ori, I may not be able to fully understand your feelings or your desires and even if you had your motives, you have faced countless dangers to help Niwen. I believed it was your destiny to save us once the Willow entrusted me to you, but even I can see how this responsibility troubles you. If there is hope in this little seed then I am willing to nurture it but it is your choice, I was entrusted to you and I will follow your will."

The little spirit took a shaky breath, moved by Seir's attempt to understand how they felt. Without further words, Ori put away Kuro's feather and reached out for the glowing seed. It felt small in their paws but Ori could feel the light within it. Closing their eyes and relaxing, Ori gathered all of the ancestral light they had inherited while in Niwen and pushed it forward. It was a strange feeling to be giving light instead of receiving it but giving up on this light was a sacrifice nowhere near comparable to leaving their family behind. Like a stream of water, Ori felt the light leave them and gather in the seed in their palm, as more light spilled into the small seed, it lifted, floating in the air, it's glow brightening significantly. Finally, all the light Ori had to give was gone and the spirit collapsed to the ground, head pounding. Giving away all that light when they were already so wounded put a heavy toll on the small spirit and Ori could feel the allure of unconsciousness gripping at their mind. As their senses started to fade, Ori saw Seir light up happily. The light seemingly summoned what little strength they had left to float up to the glowing seed. Where the golden orb enveloped the seed, a bright light spread across Ori's vision. Ironically, as the radiant light grew brighter, Ori's vision only grew darker until unconsciousness had swallowed them entirely.

-

A soft warmth tingled in Ku, making her feel almost weightless. How long had she been sleeping for? It must have been a good nap because she felt very refreshed. Slowly opening her eyes, a brief shock filled the owlet. She didn’t recognise where she was, all around her were eyes of brown furred creatures looking up at her, happiness and relief on their faces. It was only then she realised she didn’t just feel weightless, she was actually floating. Swinging her amber gaze to her right, Ku let a little hoot of surprise escape her. Where there would normally be tattered, thin feathers on her right wing were soft, healthy feathers and beyond her healed wing were two faces that made joy spill out from her chest. Naru and Gumo were standing beside her with wide smiles on their faces. As Naru met Ku’s gaze, she pulled her daughter into one of her soft, loving hugs. Ku buried her face in the warm fur of her mother, cooing happily. She had no idea how Naru and Gumo had found her but she was so unbelievably relieved to see them. Ku had felt so scared and lost on her own but her whole family was here with her now, or at least they should have been. All at once the little owl recalled why she had been sleeping in the first place. That scary bird Shriek had attacked her and Ori and-

Ori!

Panic flared up in Ku, replacing the brief moment of safety she had just felt. Frantically she fluttered her wings, making Naru let go of her in surprise. “Ori! Where is Ori?” The little owl cried out, hopping up onto the makeshift nest she had previously been resting on.

The moki shared glaces and one of them stepped forward. “Ori must be at the Spirit Willow if you are awake.”

Another moki chimed in, smiling. “The light must be restored! Ori has saved our home.”

“What are they talking about dear?” Naru asked Ku gently, placing a paw on her back, trying to calm her daughter.

Ku thought for a moment. For the little amount of time Ku had been reunited with her sibling in those dark woods, Ori had told her about the state of Niwen, the place they had landed in but she didn’t know very much. Ku shook her head, her dark feathers rustling in frustration. “I don’t know.”

“Ori gathered the wisps and returned the light to the Spirit Willow, that must be what happened!” The moki explained.

Gumo sighed behind Ku and Naru. “They must have gotten into another adventure.”

“I hope they’re safe.” Naru frowned in worry and Ku couldn’t help but reflect her mother's feelings. If something had happened to Ori while she had been here helpless she didn’t know what she would do.

As if Naru could speak the future, another moki ran into the small forest clearing, fear wide in their eyes. They spotted Ku and paused for a moment before shaking their furry head. “I saw what happened! I was sitting in a tree and I saw it! The Shrieker attacked Ori and the Spirit Willow fell!”

The other moki gasped and Ku felt her stomach drop, that scary owl had attacked Ori again. If the Spirit Willow fell then what had happened to the light? After the shocked cries died down the moki continued. “It was far and I couldn’t see well, but Ori fended off the Shrieker and she fled. I didn’t see what happened to Ori but after a while a huge light shot up from that area.”

“Can you take us there?” Naru asked, holding her hands to her chest, face twisted with worry.

Again the moki exchanged glances and after chattering among themselves the moki who was just talking stepped forward. “I can take you but we have to go through the Silent Woods. That’s where I saw the Shrieker fall. It might be dangerous.”

“We have to go!” Ku burst out, fluttering her wings. “Ori might need our help.”

Gumo and Naru nodded in agreement. “We are their family, we have to get to them.” Naru explained.

The moki nodded and bounded away, looking back at them expecting them to follow. Without hesitation, Ku skittered after the brown furred creature and they went on ahead. The moki led them out of the marsh and into the dark woods Ku remembered. The smell of stone and tar filled her nose and it made her puff out her feathers defensively. As they traveled through the Silent Woods, Ku was painfully alert for the sound of large feathers rustling or shrieks in the distance but true to its name, the woods were completely silent. By the time the moki had led them out of the woods Ku had not seen a single trace of Shriek and as she hopped up onto the first few stones of the ridge ahead she finally felt like she could relax slightly. The climb up the ridge took a little while, the moki, Gumo and with her newly healed wing even Ku herself had no trouble with the climb but Naru was not as agile as the rest of them. Gumo and Ku did their best to help her up the steep climb, Ku wishing she were big enough to have let them all ride on her back. 

Finally, they reached a flat plateau of dry crumbly rock. Looking out across the stone, Ku spotted a single patch of lush, fresh grass and sprawled out on the ground beside it was the familiar white fur of her sibling. Anticipation filled her wide amber eyes as she half hopped and half flew over to them, hoping as Ori heard the beat of her wings and the sound of her hoot their ears would perk up and they would greet her with their usual kind smile. Her hope was short lived. As the little owl reached the spirit, Ku could see just how battered Ori looked. Their glowing white fur was messy and their body absolutely covered with scratches. Ori’s usual soft glow was much dimmer then Ku recalled and their chest was only barely rising and falling. Ku felt a mix of fear and relief, Ori was still alive but they seemed so hurt. Naru and Gumo had followed Ku to where Ori lay, the spirit's mother only gazed sadly at her wounded child before she gently scooped them up and cradled them close to her chest. The moki who had led them here and a couple more who had apparently also followed them stood at a distance, ears pricked as if hoping for something to happen but even after standing there for some time, Ori did not wake. 

Ku dropped her head, and shut her eyes, what would she do if Ori didn’t wake up? There had to be something she could do to help them. The moki suddenly gasped, drawing the attention of the family to them. They were looking at the patch of grass and as Ku followed their gaze a glimmer of surprise shone through the sadness that sat in her mind. A pale purple-grey stem was growing up from the ground, it kept growing until it reached Ku’s height before stopping. The top of the stem split off into two small droopy blue leaves and between them a small golden light softly appeared.  
“Hello, a lot of you have come to greet the new Spirit Willow.” The light’s voice was small and soft. 

Naru pushed Ori towards the small light. “Can you help them?”

The light was still for a second. “Ori gave a lot of their light to help form the new tree. With the wounds they had already sustained from Shriek they must be very weak right now. I’m afraid in my current position there’s not much I can do. The Spirit Willow is still young and until she grows my power is limited.”

Ku hooted indignantly. “Ori helped you, whoever you are, isn’t the Spirit Tree supposed to help the spirits.” 

“I am Seir and as I said, the Spirit Willow doesn’t have the power to help Ori right now neither do I, but our help isn’t needed. Ori is simply exhausted, their wounds are not fatal, all they need is rest.”

The little owl looked at Naru as she sighed and held Ori closer, the worry on her face relaxing somewhat. 

“We can take Ori to the Wellspring Glades.” One of the moki suggested.

“It’s safe there.” Another agreed.

“Show us the way then.” Gumo nodded, shifting his gaze from where Ori lay sleeping in Naru’s arms to the moki.

“Wait.” Seir called out. “I have a favour to ask.”

Ku turned around, she wanted to get Ori somewhere they could rest quickly, surely this light wanted that too. 

“What is it?” Naru asked kindly. Ku would always be amazing by Naru’s patience.

“Once Ori is healed I ask that you allow them to remain here in Niwen. The Spirit Willow could use their protection as she grows.”

Gumo tilted his head and turned to Naru. “It would be safer to take Ori back to Nibel once they’re well enough to travel. I’m sure Sein would be able to take care of them better than any care we could get here.” 

Ku nodded, puffing out her chest at the thought of going home. “Ori would be safer at home!”

Naru thought for a moment before smiling and looking down at the spirit. “I think this is a decision Ori should make. I’ll let them know when they wake up.”

The light flickered, seemingly satisfied. “Thank you.”

-

Catching a light breeze, Ku gently drifted down towards the hut Ori was resting in. The gorlek Grom had apparently built it for a moki but it had been abandoned and currently no one was living in it. The inhabitants of the glade happily let the spirit's family use it when they asked for a place to stay. In her talons were fresh fruit she had picked with some of the moki. Ku herself didn't care much for eating fruit but it was the favourite food of the rest of her family and it was the least she could do while they took care of Ori. Landing outside the door, she walked inside. "I'm back, I brought some food for you."

Naru turned around from where she was watching over the sleeping spirit. "That's very thoughtful of you, thank you Ku." 

The dark purple owlet smiled at the praise, making her way over to the back of the hut where Naru was and handed the fruit over to her mother. "How is Ori doing?"

"They're getting much better." She smiled.

Ku examined her sibling. Thanks to Naru's gentle care Ori's wounds had almost all been healed, their fur looked healthier and their breathing seemed much less laboured. Contentment sat in Ku's chest, she was happy to see Ori getting better but it had been a few days now and the spirit showed no sign of waking up. The owlet looked up at her mother who was enjoying the fruit she had brought her. "When do you think they will wake up?"

"Soon I hope, if they could eat something I'm sure they'd regain their strength twice as fast."

How soon was soon? Ku wanted to show Ori how they had healed her, she wanted to show them her wing and how much better she had gotten at flying. This time, when they flew together, she would make sure they didn't crash. The longing to spend time with her sibling must have shown in her eyes because Naru leaned over to gently stroke the soft feathers on her head. "I know you miss them Ku, but we need to give them time to get better."

Ku pouted slightly. "I know."

Naru smiled, and ushered Ku towards the door. "Why don't you go help Gumo. He and Grom are building some tree houses for the moki. I'm sure they'd find it easier with your help."

The little owlet could tell Naru was trying to keep her mind off Ori and she was grateful she was trying to make her feel better but she wished there was something more she could do for them. Ku didn't know how to patch up wounds like Naru could or build a nice soft nest for Ori to sleep in like Gumo could. Wait, maybe she could do that, she was an owl after all, building nests was something she should inherently know how to do. Ori was already sleeping in a fairly comfortable looking nest but there was no such thing as too much comfort, maybe she could find something even softer to add to the bedding.

Perking up Ku hurried away from Naru. "Yeah, I'll go talk to Gumo."

Skittering out into the glade, Ku looked around, squinting as a few rays of sunlight caught her eye. Eventually she spotted Gumo and Grom in the tree that had the spirit well at the base of it, they were pulling up some rope and bark, creating the vague shape of a tree house. Spreading her wings she flew up to where they were, hooting to get their attention. 

"Oh, hi there Ku!" Gumo called out, waving with one of his long arms.

"Hi, Gumo, do you know where I could find something soft?"

The gumon's eyes clouded with thought before he shook his head. "Afraid not. I'm just as unfamiliar with these woods as you are."

"Oh." Ku frowned, immediately disheartened.

"What do you need it for?" Gumo asked, dropping the wooden slab he was holding and gesturing for Ku to land beside him.

The little owlet complied, landing with a little hop onto the tall tree. "I wanted to put something soft in Ori's nest, so they could rest more comfortably."

This time it was Grom who replied, he had been listening while building but stopped to give some advice. "Why not use some of your feathers?"

"My feathers?"

"When the moki want something soft for their beds they go out looking for feathers that fall from passing birds. Owl feathers are supposed to be some of the softest, you might have some scattered around your own nest." 

Ku perked up again, why hadn't she thought of that? "You're right! Thank you Grom, and you too Gumo."

She didn't wait for their responses as she soared back down to their hut and hurried inside. Ku made a beeline for her own nest and sure enough there were soft downy feathers caught in the dried grass. There were more than she anticipated but she hadn't slept very well recently with the weight of all that had happened resting on her mind. Even with her family with her she still felt a little troubled, she hoped when Ori woke up she could go back to sleeping well and shake the thin cloud of worry that was hovering over her. Shaking the thought out of her head, Ku plucked the feathers out of her nest with her beak and hurried over to Ori. Naru was still sitting beside them but it seemed like she had dozed off, Ku smiled watching her mother sleep, a well deserved rest. Hopping up onto the side of the nest Ku gently placed the feathers around Ori being extra careful not to disturb the spirit too much. Once all the feathers had been placed she sat back nodding at her work, looks like she could do something for Ori after all. Ku was very pleased with herself, that was until Ori took a deep breath in and one of the downy feathers that she had placed near their face got drawn up against their nose. The spirits face scrunched up as their nose twitched once, and then again and with a little gasp from Ori, they sneezed, blowing the feather out of the nest. Ku rustled her feathers, worried that she had made her sibling uncomfortable but then she froze. Ori had shifted in the nest, moving one of their paws to rub their nose, as they did so their eyes slowly blinked open. They lay there for a moment, taking in the surroundings before sliding up in the nest.

"Ori!" Ku cried out, hopping into the nest beside her sibling and throwing her wings around them in a hug. "You're awake, I missed you so much."

It took a moment for Ori to process what was happening but as soon as they did they let out a little gasp and hugged the owlet back. "Ku! You're okay, restoring the light really did save you!"

The commotion from the two siblings woke Naru. "Ori!" She smiled instantly. Leaning over into the nest to pull both of her children into a hug.

"Mama? You're here in Niwen?" The spirit questioned.

Naru let the children go and nodded, her eyes bright. "When you two didn’t come back it was only natural that we went to look for you."

"We? Gumo is here too?"

Their mother nodded, looking out towards the door. "He's with Grom right now, oh how those two get along so well. We should tell him you're awake, I think a lot of the creatures in the glade will be happy to see you."

Ku perked up. "I can go get him and I can also get Ori something to eat!" 

"That's a great idea Ku, you must be starving my dear." Naru picked up Ori gently, cradling the spirit.

Ori nodded, leaning into the comfort of Naru’s fur.

"I won't be long." Ku hopped out of the nest and hurried out.

-

A sizable number of creatures were elated to hear that Ori had awoken. So much so that Veral made an extra tasty pot of spicy soup to share with everyone in the glade. Instead of trying to fit everyone into the small hut Ori was staying in, Ori suggested that they go outside. Now they were all gathered around the spirit well waiting for Ori to finish eating. Ku was perched on the rim of the spirit well next to where Ori was sitting, looking at them with bright amber eyes full to the brim with happiness. Seeing the owl so happy and healthy filled Ori with joy, this is the sight that they had hoped to see when they had set out on their quest to restore the light to Niwen and being able to witness it as Ori instead of the new spirit tree was everything they hoped for. As they finished the last of the soup, Tokk stepped forward, looking at Ori.

"I’ll be the one to say it but we're all curious about what happened at the willow." The shoebill was as blunt as ever but this was also something Ori was glad to be able to experience.

"Let them rest." Ku hooted, "They must still be tired."

Ori placed a paw on Ku’s wing and smiled. "It's okay, you want to know too don't you?"

Their sister's eyes clouded with conflict. "Not if you're still tired, I can wait."

Ori stood up on the rim of the spirit well and raised their arms. "I feel great, and I would love to tell everyone what happened."

"Yes please tell us!" A moki called out followed by cheers and nods of agreement.

Ori smiled sitting back down. The story took a long time to tell, they were sure some of the inhabitants of the glades knew about some of the things that had happened while Ori was gathering the wisps but Ku, Gumo and Naru probably didn't and out of everyone gathered here, they were the ones Ori wanted to know about their journey the most. The spirit explained about Shriek's past, about Mora and Kwolok, they told them of the ruins they had found in the Windswept Wastes and the difficult challenge that was opening the way to the Spirit Willow. As Ori explained what the Spirit Willow had told them and how Shriek had attacked and wounded Seir, everyone seemed to be paying close attention. When Ori told them about the last seed they could see looks of concern, especially from their family.

"So they wanted you to become the new spirit tree?" Naru asked calmly when Ori had finished.

They nodded, recalling the pain that fate had brought about in them.

Ku shook her head, frowning. "I wouldn't have liked that, you would have felt so far away." 

Ori shuffled over to Ku wrapping an arm around here. "I didn't like the thought of it either, without the seed I might have had no choice. I couldn't sit by and let the decay destroy Niwen."

"I'm glad you had it," the owlet hooted, "you're too selfless Ori."

"Wouldn't you have done the same if you were me?" Ori didn't doubt their sister's own kindness wouldn't allow such suffering.

Ku pouted. "I would have but I still wouldn't have liked it."

Ori smiled, looking back at the crowd who had been listening to the story. Some were now chatting with others excitably while others were yawning and slinking away to their homes to sleep. Ori hadn't even realised that the sun had set and it was well into the night. As the others were leaving Ori spotted Kii staring at them, the spirit waved to him and he nodded back approaching them.

"I'm glad to think that little seed served such a good purpose. I was upset with your kind for having left Niwen to the decay but it was thanks to you that we have a future to look forward to. I look forward to seeing the tree that grows from your efforts." With that Kii bounded away.

Naru and Gumo were waving goodbye to Grom and Tokk as they walked over to the siblings. 

Naru looked at both of them with a gentle smile. "Before we go, there is something that little light wanted me to tell you Ori. I think their name was Seir."

At the mention of the light, Ori's ears pricked up. "Are they okay?"

"They're fine, they wanted me to tell you that they want you to remain in Niwen to look over the Spirit Willow as she grows." 

"Of course I will." The spirit stood, they had done so much to restore the light, they had to stay to make sure the tree grew up safe.

"What about going home?" Ku asked.

"As long as we're all together, anywhere is home." Ori patted Ku's head. 

The owlet smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good."

Gumo let out a huge yawn that drew the attention of the rest of their little family. "How about we get some sleep."

Naru nodded, ushering her children towards their hut. "Yes, it's gotten late, and maybe tomorrow we can go visit the Spirit Willow."

They reached the hut in no time and everyone said their sleepy goodnights before making their way to their nests. Ori crawled into the nest they had awoken in earlier and yawned, after all that talking they were quite tired. Before they shut their eyes, they noticed Ku staring at them, understanding immediately they shuffled to the side and patted the empty space beside them with their tail. Ku's eyes immediately lit up and she hurried over to the nest and fluttered in beside the little spirit. Cuddling up next to Ori with a content coo, she closed her eyes and was softly snoozing in a matter of minutes. Filled with warmth and happiness Ori leaned into the soft plumage of their sister and slipped off into sleep.


End file.
